Bertolli: Making olive oil famous in Thailand

Source: SABRE Awards, Diamond, Asia-Pacific, 2017

Downloaded from WARC

Olive oil brand Bertolli used an integrated online and offline campaign in the first olive oil brand
campaign in Thailand.

Bertolli would be the first olive oil brand launched in Thailand, and the company wanted to use its
place as first-mover to secure the market-leading position.
The campaign focused on educating consumers about how olive oil could be used, building local
relevance by showing how olive oil could be used in Thai recipes, and changing perceptions
about olive oil.
The campaign utilised a mixture of online and offline media, including social media graphics,
videos featuring influencers, digital ads, unbranded educational videos, cooking events and PR.
It generated 45 million social media impressions, 1 million video views, 159 media clippings, had a
measurable impact on attitudes towards olive oil, and grew Bertolli’s market share.

Campaign details
Advertiser: Unilever
Brand: Bertolli
Agency: Hill & Knowlton Strategies
Country: Thailand

The brief
H+K Thailand was tasked to launch the world's first olive oil category campaign in Thailand and secure Bertolli's
position as market leader.
The situation
Olive oil represents less than 1% of Thailand's edible oil market.

The edible oil market is abundant with competitors, particularly those that are locally-grown, and priced at
an average of 4x cheaper. Have been used almost exclusively in Thai cuisine for generations.
There is a longstanding belief among Thai consumers that olive oil cannot be utilized for Thai cooking, or
heated to high temperatures.
Italian cuisine has a narrow following in Thailand and a limited Italian immigrant population.

Insights
Brand truth

Very limited presence and brand awareness in Thailand, market leader in minor olive oil category.

Category insight

Olive oil sales are low in Thailand with high use of vegetable or palm oil. Little information on how to cook with
olive oil.

Human insight

"I enjoy food and love to learn and share about it on social media, as well as seek new gastronomic experiences
to share with family and friends online".

Cultural insight

Stir-frying and deep frying is a part of daily eating habits of Thais. They are not familiar with olive oil.

The challenge
Thailand is a global culinary titan, with local food at its cultural heart.

How can we elevate a foreign product with less than 1% market presence and no established local relevance or
media presence, into a Thai kitchen staple?

Our strategic approach: connect, engage and drive choice

To drive acceptance of the olive oil category in Thailand and position Bertolli as the market leader, our
campaign focused on:
Educating consumers

Dispel myths and help people understand the premium taste, health benefits and quality of olive oil

Building local relevance

Curate social media influencers ('lifestyle masters') to seed out the compatibility of olive oil and Thai food.

Changing perceptions

Reinvent Thailand's Olive oil category with an integrated approach to communications with digital and social at
the core, and supported by media engagement, consumer activations, events, videos and competitions.
How did we blend East and West to change perceptions?

Content and publishing

A deeper dive into how we reached a whole new audience with the right combination of engaging content and
digital channels.

Building local relevance: The everyday chef

Who: Chef Nan'

Modern Thai Chef, who seamlessly blends international and local.

Bertolli user, passionate about traditional Thai food culture.

Why?:

1. Respected in the Thai cuisine realm.

2. 1 Million combined social media fans.

What:

1. Branded and unbranded Social Media campaigns focused on:

Combining Thai food with olive oil
Dispelling usage myths.
 2. Media events
3. Consumer events
4. Cooking tips from a trusted Thai expert

Influencers

Created a Thai connection with olive oil for the first time ever

Education and brand credibility: The Nutritionist

Who: Phasit Kanasirichaino

Young and hip dietitian and nutrition 'consultant, Health Lecturer, food lover and trusted name in Thailand's
health world.

Why?:

1. Credible links with both health world and digital health following
2. Lectures at Thailand's most prestigious hospital and university.

What:

1. Branded and unbranded Social Media campaigns focused on:

Educating Thai people on health benefits of olive oil related to national health agenda ex. NCDs.
2. Media events
3. Consumer events
4. Health advice from expert.

Influencers

Created a Thai connection with olive oil for the first time ever.

Building local relevance and changing perceptions: The Hip Dad

Who: Fukking Hero

One of Thailand's biggest rappers and reformed bad boy – now doting father, husband and social advocate.

Why?:

1. Posts reference family, love and social issues – can create more emotive brand link
2. Diabetic – naturally inform about health benefits.
3. Out-the-box influencer.
4. 2 Million+ social media fans

What:
 1. Unbranded Social Media campaign detailing his journey integrating olive oil into his cooking, to address
diabetes.
2. Consumer cooking workshop.

Influencers

Created a Thai connection with olive oil for the first time ever.

Giving Bertolli online presence via owned and shared platforms

Facebook launch
Food influencer collaborations

Digital and social content

Brought olive oil to the Thai consumer and established a social media presence for Bertolli.
Storytelling through video and creative visuals
Viral 'social experiment' videos

Creative Visual and Infographic

Digital and social content

Brought olive oil to the Thai consumer and established a social media presence for Bertolli.

Results
Our first-of-a-kind category-led campaign successfully introduced the culinary treasure of the West, to the
gastronomic capital of the East.

An effective combination of curated influencers, creative content, digital assets, and media engagement, built a
positive Thai connection with olive oil for the first time ever.

With a digitally-driven campaign, we engaged and influenced millions to change perceptions of olive oil in
Thailand as well as building a brand presence for Bertolli. All of which contributed to an increase in sales, with
Bertolli's market share increasing by +6% in the 5 months since campaign launch.

Results – March to July 2017

Measuring business results and sentiment towards campaign
After five months of the campaign, we measured Thai consumer sentiment towards olive oil:

+59.4% Thai consumers agreed olive oil can cook Thai cuisine.
78.7% say 'health benefits' of olive oil is most likely purchase reason.
+18.8% now used Olive Oil as primary cooking oil.
Bertolli media share of voice increase 2016* vs 2017: 15,000%.
Market Share Growth in Thailand Retail Olive oil Market*: +6%.
March '17 52%.
July'17 58%.

*1 piece of coverage in 2016 vs 159 in 2017

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